Sprooskx  wheel



w .1. BEISEL' SPRlNG WHEEL. APPLICATKON FILED NOV. 1, 192l- 3SHEETSSHEET 1.

Rissued June 6, 1922.

w. J. BEISEL.

SPRING WHEEL.

, v APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1921.

Reissued June 6, 1922. 15 371 v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5:5 in each spoke at UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JAKOB IBEISEL, 0F PORT RICHll/EONB, NEW YORK.

SP RING 15,371.. Original No. 1,378,516, dated May 17, 1921,

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that 1, WILLIAM J. Bureau, a citizen oi the United Fitates,and residing at Port Richmond, in the county of Richmond, titatenIsland, New York, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements inSpring lVheels, of which the following is a: specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels to be used on various vehiclesbut is particular ly adapted to): use on motor vehicles. The wheelembodying the invention-is intended to secure practically the resilientandyielding effect of a pneumatic tire without using such tire. Itembodies a construction by which the wheel may yield locally at the rimwhen striking a comparatively small obstacle, much as a pneumatic tiredoes with out causing objectionable movement of the rim or wheel as awhole. It includes other novel features of construct-ion making up astrong, simple and efiicient wheel which has an attractive appearance.The novel features will be apparent-from the following description takenin connection with the: drawings.

11 1:1116 drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a side view of a wheel embodying my invention with the tireremoved;

Fig. 2 is an edge View oi. the wheel;

Fig. 3 a cross section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1, a tire being shown inposition;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of theretaining members for thetire;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a wheel showing a. modification. I

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modified arrangement of supplementalcoil spring;

.Fig. 7 is a detail side view of a modified" form of wheel embodying thebroad principles of myinvention but including spokes bent in oppositedirections; and 1 Fig. 8 isan edge view of the rim embody-V ing thismodifiedconstruction.

As shownin Fig. 1 the wheel embodies a central hub 10 which may be ofthe construction disclosed in another application filed by me on Mayv20,1918, Ser. 0. 235,682and secured tothis hub there is a series oispokes 1.1, which extend radially. These spokes are made in the form ota series of superposed plates, flat in cross section, constituting whatis known as a leat-spring. While the inner ends of the spokes areradial,-there is a bend the point 12 near thehub Serial No. 235,681,filed May 20, 1918. issue filed November 1, 1921.

Specification of Rel-sauce Letters Patent. Reisgflgd J m 6; 19 22Application tor re- Serial No. 512,063.

and the portion of the spoke from that point outward is curved first tothe right and then on agradual curve to the left forming anouter-tapered end, 13. The outer portion of each spolre is curved toconform. to a circle having the center of the hub as itscenter the endof one spoke rests upon and partially 'tps. the next spoke, all of thepoints of the spokes extending in the same direction. Since each spoketapers gradually to its point, the outer surface of all of the spokescombined constitutes a complete circle or rim for the wheel. it will beseen, however, that this rim is made up of a series of sections and eachsection may move in reference to the next section both inwardly orradially and circumferentially. In this movement the end of one sectionslides on the next section but the substantial-continuity of thecircular rim is not broken. By this arrangement, where the wheel strikesan obstruction, the particular section of the rim which comes" incontact: with it may yield without causing any appreciable movement or"those portions of the rim at other parts of the circumference. Therewill be some movement of the small adjacent sections. but practicallythe result will be a local yielding of the rim surface just as pneumatictire I cally yields Without affecting other portions of its surface.

It will be observed that each spring is made up of a number ofsuperposed leaves of dilierent lengths makin a laminated construction asin the usual leaf spring. .While each spring constituting a spoke has astraight section extending radially from the hub there is at a point notfar from the hub a bend or curve in it in the plane of the they wheeland then a reverse curve or bend which brings it back across the radialline from that part in next to the hub and from that point on the radiusof the curve gets gradually greater to the end of the spoke. Thisproduces a spring of special form havinc; exceptional resiliency at itsouter end.

preferably use on the yielding rimo't wheel a solid rubber tire 14:,shown in Fig. 3. In order to properlyhold that tire in place, I make useof the tire. retaining members 15,16 which fit ag-a1nst"the outerportion of the spring spokes and which are clamped to them. Theseretaining members are, of course, made in the term of a segment oi acircle with ribs or projectrons17, -18 on the margin to hold the tireagainst s de movoirnrnt. 'lhey are also preferably pro-- vided with thetapering lips .19, 20 which extend over the outer periphery of the rimin toward each other, thus turnishing some support for the tire. Theinner portions of the retaining members have lips or flanges 21, 22through which bolts 23 pass to clamp each pair of retaining memberstogether on the wheel rim.

As will be seen by reteii-enre to Fig. 1, these retaining members do notconstitute together a complete circle, but there is a break be tweenadjacent pairs and this is to allow for the movement of the wheel rim,as here tofore indicated. In order to prevent the overlapping ends ofthe adjacent spokes from chafing the inner surface of the tire, I'maymake use ot a thin. metal plate extending around the rim lapping thejoints between adjacent spokes. In Fig. 1 such a plate marked 24 isshown secured to the parts marked- 15, 16 of the tire retaining clamps;A plate 24 is, in this instance, secured to each pair of clamps andcovers the joint in the rim at that point.

In order that there shall be proper relative longitudinal or peripheralmovement of the lapping ends of adj acent spokes and. the leaves of thesame spokes within the clamping mom b'ers 15 and 16, one layer or leafof each spoke is "made somewhat wider where it enters the last of thetwo pairs of clamps through which it passes than at other points andthan the other layers or spokes at that point whereby its side marginswill be gripped and'held by the inner side i't'aces'ot thefclampingmembers 1.5 and 16 so that the saifd'layeror' leaf and clamps will movetogether "permitting free longitudinal movement of the otherlayers inreterenceto them, This is shown in Fig. 3 where for purposes ofillustration the outer layer or leaf marked 36 of the end portion 13 ofthe outer spoke is wi'der than the other leaves of this spoke and than"the leavesof' the inner spring spoke '11. It will be understood,however, that the invention is not limited to clamp ing the outer layeras distinguishedtrom the inner, layer. .Ihe plate 24 is detachablyconnected to'the clamping members so as to movetherew thby side ears orpro ect1ons 35 fitting 111 corresponding side sockets in the inner facesof the clamping members 15- and 1'6 n Inorder to facilitatethe movementof a section got .one spoke on the-next spoke, I preferably make use ofan anti-friction roller shown in dotted lines in Figsl 2 2 5'bearingag'jainstthe inner, surface of one 6'0 spoke and'carried from the next'spoke by a clamp 26. For certain purposes, and where particularly heavyloads are to be carried, it may be advisable to reinforce the springspokes and thismayof'conrse,-be done in Various Y In g 5T have showiione means for reinforcing the spokes which includes the coil spring 27resting in a socket 28 at the bend in the spring spoke and its other endresting in the. socket 29 in the inner surface oi the outer curved end(it the spoke.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified. constructioii for reii'itorcing theleaf spring 11.. In this instance the reinforcing means embodies asocket 30 secured. to the hub 10 between the spokes and a socket 31secured to the inner tace ot the spring at its outer portion, togetherwith the coiled spring 32 fitting in these sockets. This spring may, ofcourse, be made of the proper strength to suit the particular use towhich the wheel is to be put.

In. Fig. 7 there is shown a specifically dif .terent application of thebroad idea em bodied in my leaf spring. In this instance, instead ofhaving a single spring sulliciently Wide to eX-tend across and form therim, three separate springs are used, the two outer springs facing inone direction and the inner spring facing in the opposite direction. Asshown in Figs. 7 and 8 the outer springs are marked 33 and the innerspring 34- and each spring is of the same general construction as theleaf spring illus trated in Fig. 1. These springs are thus arrangedthree in a series, the outer springs curving in one direction and theinner spring curving in the opposite direction, and this will result ina crossing of the springs between the hub and the periphery. It will, ofcourse, be understood that a suflicient num ber of outer springs 33 areused to overlap each other and form a complete circle as in Fig. 1. andthis is true also of the inner springs 34.. In this construction,therefore, the outer rim of the wheel will include mar ginal partsmovable in one direction, whereas the center part will be movable in theopposite direction. Ordinarily the outer spring sections 33 will be madeof the same width as the inner spring section 34:.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as new and desired tobesecurerl by Letters Patent is: i

' 1. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of leafspring spokes secured thereto having radial inner portions and beingbent in the plane of the wheel at points uniform distances from the huband the outer portions from those points being bent on gradual curvesuntil they pass back across the radial lines of the inner ortions withthe outer ends tapering in t ickness and the radii of the curvesgradually increasing until the tip *ends of adjacent spokes rest on eachother forming a practicallycontinuous circularrim and adapted to moveradially and circumferentially on each other without breaking thecontinuity of the rim l 2. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a huband a series of leaf spring spokes secured thereto having radial innerportions and being bent in the plane of the wheel on arch of small radiiat points uniform distances from the hub and the outer portions fromthose points outwardly being bent on gradual curves until they pass backacross the radial lines of the inner portions with the outer endstapering in thickness with the outer leaf of each spoke longest and theradii of the curves gradually increasing until the tip ends of adjacentspokes rest on each other forming a practically continuous l circularrim and adapted to move radially and circumferentially on each otherwithout breaking the continuity of the rim and tire retaining membersclamped to said spokes near their outer ends and projecting beyond themargin of said rim to hold a tire in place without interfering with therela tive longitudinal and radial movement.

3. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of leafspring spokes secured thereto having radial inner portions and beingbent in the plane of the wheel at points uniform distances from the huband the outer portions from those points being bent on gradualsubstantially uniform curves until they pass back across the radiallines of the inner portions with the outer ends tapering in thicknessand the radii of the curves gradually increasing until the 'tip ends ofadjacent spokes rest on each other forming a practically continuouscircular rim and adapted to move radially and circumferentially on eachother without breaking the continuity of the rim and antifrictionbearings between the spokes near their outer tip ends.

4. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of spokessecured thereto, the spokes being in the form of leaf springs tapered attheir outer ends and similarly curved at their outer ends so as to fiton each other and form together an elastic but practically continuouscircular outer rim, a rul ber tire on said rim, and tire retainingmembers clamped to said spokes near their outer ends and projectingbeyond the margin of said rim to hold said tire in place, and thinplates carried by said retaining members beneath the tire fitting saidrim closely and lapping the joints between the ends of adacent springs.

5. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of spokessecured thereto, the spokes being in the form of leaf springs tapered attheir outer ends and similarly curved at their outer ends soas to fit oneach other and form together an elastic but practically continuouscircular outer rim and antifriction rollers between adjacent springsnear their outer ends where they approach each other.

6. spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of spokessecured thereto radially, the spokes being in the form of laminated leafsprings tapered gradually to a thin edge at their outer ends, the saidspokes being bent or curved between their ends in one direction in theplane of the wheel and the portions outwardly beyond. said firstmentioned bends being reversely curved or bent in the plane of the wheelon arcs of large radii whereby corresponding portions of the outer endsof said spokes will lie in corresponding circles with the hub as thecenter, the portions of said spokes between said first mentioned bendsand hub being straight and radial.

7. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of spokessecured thereto radially, the spokes being in the form of laminated leafsprings tapered gradually to a thin edge at their outer ends, the saidspokes being bent or curved between their ends in one direction in theplane of the wheel and the portions beyond said first mentioned bendsbeing reversely curved or bent in the plane of the wheel on arcs of.gradually increasing radii, the outer end of each spring extendingacross and considerably beyond a radial line from that part of itsecured to the hub and there fitting on and lapping the adjacent spoke.

8. A spring wheel for vehicles comprising a hub and a series of springmetal spokes secured thereto radially, the said spokes being bent orcurved between their ends in one direction in the plane of the wheel andthe portions outwardly beyond said first mentioned bends being reverselycurved or bent in the plane of the wheel passing back across andmaterially beyond the radial planes of their inner ends, the radii ofthe reverse curves gradually increasing to approximately the outer endsand the corresponding portions of the outer ends being in the arcs ofcorresponding circles having the axis of the hub as the center, theportions of said spokes between said first mentioned bends and hub beingstraight and radial.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM JAKO'B BEISEL.

